What words pop into your head when you hear the word "comfort"? Is it your bed? The couch? A certain pair of pants? Your food? Relationships? A feeling? It could possibly be anything! It is a place or a feeling that we want at the end of a stressful day or week. I would like to take this time to talk about comfort and how it gets in the way of our goals. Last year, I wrote a blog about goals and how our mindset can be self-defeating. "Willpower, motivate, commit, achieve, and visualize your success in whichever path you choose to take towards reaching your goals."

In the past year, meeting with individuals about their nutrition goals along with physical fitness goals, I have noticed the majority is just comfortable with their routine. They are comfortable with their routine of waking up in the morning, whether it is skipping breakfast or rushing around not giving themselves time to think. I would list a number of ways that individuals get extremely comfortable with negative habits they have formed, but then you would be reaching a chapter book. An example...someone would argue with me that a glass of wine and 3 bites of ice cream at night is not what is holding them back. Wine and ice cream is just one example of any habit that someone may be holding onto.

I will always preach to everyone to get out of his or her comfort zone. Give it two whole weeks without the sabotage, and see how you feel! Possibly one out of five people will try it out and they seem to be amazed! They notice they do not miss the wine or ice cream, the energy levels increase, and waking up feels a bit easier in the morning. As for the others, they don't budge. It is too comforting a feeling to have those foods, it makes them feel good and/or it is so part of their routine they just cannot let go of it. The repetitive excuses come along with the reasons why these habits even exist. With these individuals, I normally would suggest healthier alternatives or tell them to keep busy and switch up their routine. Putting yourself first is key! Believe that it can be done and mentally prepare yourself to be your best!

Now that we covered the comfort level routine with food, we can now speak about comfort levels with fitness. Depending on your goals, we must push out of your comfort levels and channel our "Beast Mode," as Kerry Taylor just wrote about not too long ago. Giving that extra effort over your last workout can make a difference. Putting in a day or two more into your schedule to complete an intense workout will get you the results. At the end of the day, the world is not going to change, you have to change. Step out of the comfort zone and switch up into a new, positive routine. You could end up surprising yourself in the long run. Remember, "willpower, motivate, commit, achieve, and visualize your success in whichever path you choose to take towards reaching your goals."